RASC Air Despatch half brevet, has anyone got one?

[3dg]

Hello good people of the forum.
Can someone please tell me when the RASC started to where the AD winged badge with crown on top?
Also, I believe the AD before wearing this badge wore a half brevet with AD in the middle, this badge I've never seen before, has someone got one they wouldn't mind taking a photo of please.
Thank you for your time

Chris

[badjez]

Chris,

01.01.47. New Skill-at-Arms Air Despatch Crew badge sealed: worsted for wear with BD.

29.05.56. At the 90th Meeting of the WODC it was decided (D731) that qualified Air Despatch personnel, RASC should be authorised to wear a Skill-at-Arms badge of the following design- a pair of wings in Air Force blue on both sides of a yellow circle surmounted by a yellow Crown. In the circle, letters ‘AD’ in yellow, on a dark blue background. The badge was only to be worn by Corporals and below.

04.07.56. At the 91st Meeting of the WODC the Committee deferred a decision upon extending use of the Air Despatch Crew badge to all ranks, and permitting it to be worn by Officers on Mess Dress.


09.10.57. ACI 416: Award of Badge, Air Despatch Crews, RASC.
1. An Air Despatch Crew skill-at-arms badge is authorised to be worn by qualified officers and OR on all orders of dress and mess dress.
2. There are three types of badge:-
(a) An embroidered badge for wear with No1 dress and mess dress. This shows a yellow circle, surmounted by a yellow crown between a pair of wings in Air Force blue. In the circle the letters ‘A.D.’ in yellow on a dark blue background. Encircling the ‘A.D.’ the words ‘Royal Army Service Corps’ in dark blue on a yellow background. (CB 7965)
(b) A khaki cloth badge for wear with SD & BD. (CB 7923)
(c) A GM badge for wear with No3 dress. (CB 8002)
3. The badge will be worn on the left forearm in all forms of dress.

09.03.66. At the 171st Meeting of the ADC it was decided (D1644) to approve the finished sample of gold anodised aluminium Sill-at-Arms badge for qualified Air Despatch Crews, RCT. This had been manufactured to Design Sketch 0.2334, for wear with Tropical Dress.

01.06.66. At the 173rd Meeting of the ADC it was decided (D1680) to approve the wearing on Denison Smocks, and other flying clothing, of the Air Despatch Crew Skill-at-Arms badge.

02.03.82. At the 252nd Meeting of the ADC, the Committee decided (D3195) to approve the Air Despatch Badge (for wear in perpetuity) to be worn on No13 (Barrack) Dress.

02.08.80. At the 253rd Meeting of the ADC, the Committee decided ((D3213) to approve the following qualification badges, awarded in perpetuity, to be worn with No14 Dress Shirt Sleeve Order:
Para Badge with Wings- Right sleeve.
Parachute Wings, SAS Badge- Right sleeve.
Army Flying Badge/ Army Air Gunners badge/ Army Air Observation Badge- left breast.
Air Despatch Badge, Chief Engineers’ badge, Ocean Watchkeepers’ Badge- Left sleeve.

Hope this helps. Sorry I don't have an example to show you.
Stephen.

[grey_green_acorn]

A few examples. A half brevet seems unlikely but never say never!

Tim

[3dg]

Fantastic!
Thank you Stephen for your very detailed response, greatly appreciated.
Hi Tim, thank you for the examples, I have read somewhere that they wore a half brevet, can't remember where, I'll try and find it.
Thank you both again
Chris

[lettman]

If you'll forgive my taking advantage of this thread, I hope I can get an answer to this question. When and under what circumstances might AD units have worn a regular parachute brevet on the Denison smock?

[badjez]

I'm unsure if AD units would have worn a parachute qualification wing/ lightbulb unless in a previous posting they had been trained as part of an Airborne Divisional RASC Company. They could wear parachute wings in perpetuity.

I think the granting of the AD brevet was done in some way to compensate for the AD unit members not having any other means of showing their airborne links.

Stephen.

[lettman]

Thanks for that. It's just that I have acquired a 1959 ptn Denison smock with a pair of AD formation signs and which appears to have had a standard parachute brevet on one shoulder.

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by lettman

Thanks for that. It's just that I have acquired a 1959 ptn Denison smock with a pair of AD formation signs and which appears to have had a standard parachute brevet on one shoulder.

I am assuming you are using the wrong word, 'Brevet' is normally used to refer to the Air Crew half wing badges that are worn on the chest. Parachutist qualification wings would be worn near the top of the right sleeve.

Marc

[Postwarden]

I have never come across a single wing version but did discover this whilst researching my book. It is the design proposed for air despatchers when the Air Despatch Group was formed.

In late September 1944 Colonel SW Walsh the ADG’s commander asked the War Office for permission to wear an ADG formation sign, the proposed sign, representing a Dakota in flight, which was to be worn with an ‘Air Despatch’ bar similar in design to that worn by Airborne Forces beneath it. As all RAF aircrew wore a badge he also suggested the introduction of a skill-at-arms badge for trained Air Despatchers...Permission to wear the Dakota badge was not given until April 1945 the ADG told at the same time that approval for the Dakota meant that there was no need for an air despatcher’s skill-at-arms badge.

[3dg]

Originally Posted by Postwarden

I have never come across a single wing version but did discover this whilst researching my book. It is the design proposed for air despatchers when the Air Despatch Group was formed.

In late September 1944 Colonel SW Walsh the ADG’s commander asked the War Office for permission to wear an ADG formation sign, the proposed sign, representing a Dakota in flight, which was to be worn with an ‘Air Despatch’ bar similar in design to that worn by Airborne Forces beneath it. As all RAF aircrew wore a badge he also suggested the introduction of a skill-at-arms badge for trained Air Despatchers...Permission to wear the Dakota badge was not given until April 1945 the ADG told at the same time that approval for the Dakota meant that there was no need for an air despatcher’s skill-at-arms badge.

Thank you for that, most interesting.
Just found this old thread...
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...light=despatch